Eustat

Press release dated 27/04/2011

LARGE STORES TRADE INDEX OF THE BASQUE COUNTRY (ICGS) MARCH 2011

Sales at large stores in the Basque Country fell by 12.3% in March 2011

Sales of food products registered a year-on-year downturn of 6.1% and other products were down by 15.8%

Sales registered in the large stores of the Basque Country in March 2011 experienced a nominal year-on-year downturn of 12.3% in homogenous terms of the working calendar, according to Eustat data. Sales of food products at large stores fell by a nominal year-on-year 6.1%, while other items were down by 15.8%.

By province, there was a nominal decrease in year-on-year sales in Álava, down 9.4%, while they fell by 13.4 and 11.6% in Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa, respectively.

With respect to the previous month, Feburary 2011, sales for the Basque Country as a whole fell by 4.3% in nominal terms and once seasonal effects had been eliminated. Sales of food products were down by 2.9% on the previous month, while sales of other products also performed negatively, down 5.5%.

With respect to February, sales were down in the three provinces: they were down 3.1% in Álava, 4.5% in Bizkaia and there was a 4.4% drop in Gipuzkoa.

In constant terms, sales at large stores in the Basque Country registered a 15.5% year-on-year decrease and a 4.6% downturn on the previous month.

Compared to March 2010, sales of food products fell by 9.1%, while those of other products were down by 18.9% in constant euros. The performance of the provinces showed a downturn for the three provinces: sales were down by 16.5% in Bizkaia, 15.0% in Gipuzkoa and 12.7% in Álava, in constant terms.

Compared to the previous month, food product sales, once the price effect had been discounted, fell by 2.2% compared to February 2011 and the other products were down by 5.8%.

By provinces, there was a 3.5% decrease in Álava and prices in Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa fell by 4.8% in other cases, in real terms.

The number of people employed in large stores fell by 0.5% in March 2011 with respect to February of this year, once adjusted for seasonal effects. Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa recorded negative variations (down 0.6% and 0.8%, respectively), while it increased in Álava (0.3%).

For further information:

Basque Statistics Office
C/ Donostia-San Sebastián, 1 01010 Vitoria-Gasteiz
Tel:+34-945-01 75 00 Fax:+34-945-01 75 01 E-mail: eustat@eustat.es
Contact: Gerardo Pérez Aja
Tel:+34-945-01 75 06 Fax:+34-945-01 75 01
Further press releases on ICGS - large stores trade index of the Basque Country
Databank on ICGS - large stores trade index of the Basque Country